Chapter 6

Back at the hotel, Emma applied ointment to the cut on Louis's lip. He had gotten hurt because of her, and guilt weighed on her. "I'm sorry, Louis..."

"It's fine." Louis brushed it off. "Just a small scratch."

They stood close, and he caught the faint scent of her hair. Feeling his heart race, he stood up to change the subject. "When are we heading back?"

Emma paused before answering. "I'll leave after transferring my shares in a couple of days. About the engagement..."

She trailed off, unsure how to explain. Her mention of an engagement had been impulsive, born of emotional turmoil. She didn't want Louis to feel disrespected.

Louis looked confused. "Engagement? Who's getting engaged?"

Emma realized her mother, knowing her emotional state, hadn't told Louis about her impulsive comment.

Her embarrassed expression gave her away. Louis, who knew her well after three years, likely guessed the reason.

"Emma." He knelt before her, his tone gentle. "I'll support whatever you choose. I just want you to be happy. Don't worry about what others say."

Louis came from an aristocratic family with a rule: only after marriage could one receive the family's full support. His siblings had married young for this reason.

Though his parents had set him up well, they still hoped he'd marry soon. Emma knew this.

She also knew Louis's feelings for her. This time, she didn't shy away. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Thank you, Louis."

Meanwhile, Nathan returned home and, in a fit of rage, trashed the place.

He collapsed onto the sofa, replaying the earlier scene in his mind, regretting his outburst. "What right do I have to judge her? She must think I'm ridiculous..."

He muttered, his finger hovering over the contact labeled "Snow," but he lacked the courage to call. He tossed the phone aside, frustrated. "She's probably still with that guy."

No woman had ever affected him like this. No woman had ever made him feel this way.

All his life, women flocked to him. Like Karen, came and went at his whim. Like Emma, who loved him devotedly for years, never held his harsh words against him.

Thinking of Emma calmed him. He picked up his phone and opened their chat. "Been busy lately? Emma, I miss you. Please contact me when you're back."

A reply came quickly. "I'm already back."

Nathan hesitated, picturing Emma's obese image. What if she gained more weight?

The urge to see her faded. After a moment, he typed, "Remember that restaurant we used to love? I'll wait for you there tomorrow. Don't stand me up!"

Emma read the message and turned off her phone. Tomorrow, she would tell Nathan face-to-face that she was Emma Fowler. She wondered how he'd react.

The next day, with Louis by her side, she went to the restaurant to meet him.

As she pushed open the private room's door, Nathan looked up, their eyes meeting.

Seeing her with another man, Nathan spoke with displeasure. "Snow? Why are you here?"

Emma stepped inside, holding up her phone to show their chat. She answered calmly. "Didn't you ask me to come?"